The present disclosure relates generally to liquid covering disks. In particular, this disclosure describes liquid covering disks that partially float above the surface of a liquid body when deployed.
Ponds and open tanks are often used store and treat liquids. Storing and/or treating liquids is common in the fields of chemical production, anodizing, galvanizing, plating, dying, sewage treatment, oil waste, and other such fields. In many of these fields, the stored liquid may evaporate and emit noxious fumes if exposed to warm and windy conditions.
Additionally, exposed liquid bodies, including both bodies of water and the chemicals used in the fields listed above, may be subject to plant and organism growth on the liquid surface. Unintended plant and organism growth can impair the quality of the stored liquid. The unintended growth can also contribute to noxious fumes and present dangers to surrounding wildlife.
Additionally, exposed liquid bodies may allow wildlife to enter and/or consume the liquid, which poses a threat to both the wildlife in the area surrounding the liquid body and the liquid body itself. It is often desirable to prevent wildlife from entering liquid bodies, as the introduction of wildlife into the liquid bodies may cause degradation in the quality of the stored liquid and create other practical issues with storage and use of the contained liquid. However, preventing wildlife from entering liquid bodies takes on particular importance with respect to liquid bodies containing harmful chemicals, as local wildlife may suffer harm as a result of consuming or entering into the contained liquid.
Some liquid coverings presently understood in the art define a large sheet that covers the entire surface of a liquid body. Such designs are not completely satisfactory, as they require a high cost of deployment. Additionally, sheet liquid coverings, once deployed, are unable to be easily adapted for covering other liquid bodies of differing sizes and shapes.
Thus, there exists a need for a liquid covering that addresses one or more of the shortcomings above. Specifically, a liquid covering that helps protect liquid bodies from heat, sunlight, and wind. Further, a convenient cover to reduce plant and organism growth on the surface of liquid bodies and limit wildlife from entering the liquid is needed.
In addition to solving the problems listed in the preceding paragraphs, there exists a need for a device that is easily adaptable to liquid bodies of different shapes and/or sizes while substantially limiting the price of fabrication. Some in the art have approached this problem by creating a plurality of similar polygonal coverings designed to be placed on the surface in concert, substantially nested, packed arrangement, and covering substantially all of the liquid body. However, the lightweight design of these liquid coverings leave them susceptible to being blown away from the liquid body in windy conditions. Heavier designs that are less affected by the wind suffer from high shipping costs.
As a result, known liquid covering devices are not entirely satisfactory for the range of applications in which they are employed. Specifically, there exists a need for liquid coverings that protect against the harms listed above, while being wind resistant, easily adaptable to various liquid bodies, and of limited cost to manufacture. Additionally, a liquid cover with a light shipping weight and a heavier deployed weight to limit shipping costs is desired. Examples of new and useful liquid covering disks relevant to the needs existing in the field are discussed below.